Reversible belt and buckle having stretch character



Feb. v20, 1968 c. D. HUMPHREYS REVERSIBLE BELT AND BUCKLE HAVING STRETCH CHARACTER Filed NOV. 8, 1965 INVENTOR CHAIQLES D. HUMPHREYS M #MMM @Atty s.

United States Patent O 3,369,278 REVERSIBLE BELT AND BUCKLE HAVING STRETCH CHARACTER Charles D. Humphreys, 1301 W. 35th St., Chicago, Ill. 606119 Filed Nov. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 506,809 Claims. (Cl. 24-163) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLGSURE A belt with stretch character is provided in combination with a reversible belt buckle. The spring which accommodates the stretch character is selected circular in cross-section and of a size to just slidably receive therein a stem member that is slidable and pivotable relative to an abutment member against which one end of the spring abuts and which anchors to the belt. One end of the stem is for connection to the belt buckle, while the other end of the stern forms a stop -for the other end of the spring. In one form, the stem is of formed sheet metal. In a second form, the stem is of cotter-pin shape whose loop provides an additional pivot connection.

The belt is provided with a novel belt-end retainer that accommodates use of the belt in either of its reversible conditions.

This invention relates to a reversible belt and more particularly to a reversible belt and buckle having stretch character.

An established method of fastening a belt is by means of a buckle. Since a iiat belt has two sides to it, it has been known for years that such a belt may be made reversible so as to provide, by a single belt, two separate belt patterns or colors. In providing for such reversible belt constructions it has been known to secure the belt buckle to a belt segment that is pivotably connected to the remainder of the belt, so as to achieve the reversible character. It is also well known to provide in a nonreversible belt a buckle having stretch character to accommodate minor variations in demands for belt size, and to provide a belt that appears to have certain elastic qualities rather than being of an invariable length after being secured. Despite the fact that both the reversible character and the stretch character have both been known for some time, there has never heretofore been a belt wherein both characters are included simultaneously, and there has never been a buckle construction which provides for reversibility of the buckle alone relative to the entire remainder ofthe belt.

Thus, the principal object of this invention is to provide a belt and buckle assembly that includes both the character of reversibility and of stretch.

Another object of this invention is to provide a belt and buckle construction which is so -arranged as to provide a stretch characteristic to' a belt to which the buckle attaches while at the same time providing for reversibility between the buckle and the belt.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become -apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularityl in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. l is a fragmentary plan View partly in crosssection showing a belt embodying the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section View taken on line 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the beltend retainer of FIGS. l and 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective View of a modified form of construction of a portion of the combination showing in FIGS. l and 2;

FIG. 5 is -a cross-section View taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown in FIG. 1 an elongated belt 10 formed of leather or plastic material and provided at one end thereof with buckle means generally indicated at 12. The belt 10 is apertured at 14- to permit entry of a transverse abutment member 16 between the walls of the belt and in a position to lie against a bight 18 defined by the belt. The abutment member 16 has a central aperture 20 therein through which is adapted to extend an elongated stem 22 which has the greater portion of its length inserted between the opposed flat sections of the belt.

A buckle-receiving saddle 24 is connected to the outermost end of the stem 22 and is shaped to provide a bifurcated flange as seen in FIG. 1 which denes a pair of spaced tongues which when bent over form knuckles at 26 for gripping one edge of a rectangular buckle frame 27. An elongated helical coil spring 2S of generally cylindrical cross-section is slidably mounted on stem 22 with one end thereof in engagement with the abutment member 16 and the opposite end thereof in engagement with a stop means generally indicated at 30. In the form of the device seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the stop means 30 includes an annular washer 32 that is slidably mounted on stem 22, and with the extended end of the stem 22 peaned over or otherwise deformed at 34 for retaining the washer 3d assembled on the stern 22.

It will be understood that in the assembly shown in FIG. l the abutment member 16 and the greater portion.

of the stem 22 located to one side of abutment 16 and upon which spring 28 is positioned in the region of the belt 1d defined between spaced side wall portions of the belt 10, and then by appropriate stitching and other securing means, such structure is rigidly held in an embedded condition in one end of the belt It) while permitting relative axial and pivotal movement of the stem 22 through and in the bore 2l) in the abutment member 16 as required. The arrangement is such as to permit of pivoting of stem 22 and of buckle-receiving saddle 2d about the axis of stem 22 relative to the abutment member 16. Since pivoting of the stem and saddle relative to the abutment member is arranged to take place over at least the reversible character' of the construction is established, while axial movement of stem 22 outwardly relative to 4abutment 16 against the bias of spring 28 establishes the stretch character of the construction.

In a first form of device shown in the drawing, the stem means 22 is in the shape of a cotte-r pin 36, as best seen in FIG. 2, wherein the loop 33 of the Cotter pin receives therethrough the bight d@ of the buckle-receiving saddle 24. In another form of construction of stem and rbuckle-receiving saddle, as shown in FIG. 4, the stem 22 and the buckle-receiving saddle 24 are formed integrally from a blank of sheet metal. In the latter form of the device, in order to provide increased strength to the stem 22', there is provided an embossed rib t2 defined centrally of longitudinal edges of the stem 22. In the forming of the rib 42, the longitudinal edges of the stem are drawn toward each other, and the rib thus serves to increase the effective cross-section of the stem 22', thereby effectively rigidifying the stem. The stem 22 with rib 4t?. therein is also of a size to just lit slidably within the coil spring 23.

width Of the said terminal 44 is somewhat greater than the inside dimension of the coil spring 26', the terminal portion 44 serves as a stop means to hold the spring in assembled position on the construction.

rlurning back to FIG. 1, it will be appreciated that the elongated belt is constructed so that the ends thereof overlap, and loop means are usually carried on the belt close to the buckle end for receiving thereinto and retaining the overlapping tip end of .the belt. In view of the reversible character of the buckle, the belt 10 herein also carries an elongated pin means 50 that is secured to the belt so as to extend transversely and outwardly of the longitudinal edges of the belt. The pin 50 is secured in position between the lateral walls of the belt 10 and may be stitched, or otherwise secured, in position for proper securement. A loop-type belt-end retainer 52 is provided, carried by the portions of the pin means 50 which extend outwardly of the longitudinal edges of the belt 10. This belt-end retainer S2 is in the form of a rectangular loop of metal whose short ends 52a are provided with elongated slots 54 therein through which the extended ends of the pin 50 extend. This arrangement is such that the belt-end retainer 52 may move in directions transverse to the plane of the sides of the belt 10, so that with one long side 52h of the loop, such as 52a adjacent the belt 1.0, the other long side 52h is positioned from the belt to receive and retain the tip end 11 of the belt as seen in FIG. 3. The -outer ends of pin 50 are upset, or peaned over, to define a head of greater size than the width of slot 54, so as to prevent inadvertent disassembly.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and moditications may be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A- reversible belt and buckle device having stretch character comprising, in combination: an elongated stem having a buckle-receiving saddle connected to one end thereof and stop means provided at the other end, an abutment member slidably mounted on said stem adjacent said one end thereof and being constructed to cooperate with the stem to permit of relative pivoting between the stem and the abutment member about the longitudinal axis of the stem, and an elongated, compression coil spring of generally circular endwise shape surrounding said elongated stem and having one end thereof biasing said abutment member toward said buckle-receiving saddle, the other end of said spring engaging the stop means defined at the other end of said stem, said arrangement permitting pivoting of the stem and saddle at least 180 about the axis of the stern relative to said abutment member, the stem and buckle-receiving saddle being unitary and formed from sheet metal, the stem having a rib defined centrally of the longitudinal edges thereof and thereby being formed of an arcuate cross section, the stem extending longitudinally along substantially the entire length of the stem to cause the effective width of the ribbed portion of the stem to be reduced while the resistance to bending of the stern is increased, the shape and size of the ribbed portion of the stem being such that the ribbed stem just lits slidably within the coil spring, and a portion of said stern with stretch character comprising, in combination: a reversible belt buckle means with stretch character including an elongated stem having a buckle-receiving saddle at one end and stop means at the other end, a belt buckle connected to said buckle-receiving saddle, an abutment member slidably mounted on said stern adjacent said one end thereof and being constructed to cooperate with the stem to permit of relative pivoting between the stem and the abutment member about the longitudinal axis of the stem, an elongated compression coil spring of generally circular endwise shape surrounding said elongated stern having one end thereof biasing said abutment member toward said buckle-receiving saddle, the other end of said spring engaging the stop means defined at the other end of said stem, said arrangement permitting pivoting of the stern and saddle at least about the axis of the stem relative to said abutment member, an elongated belt constructed at one end thereof to receive therein and conceal the compression spring and abutment member but with the ybuckle-receiving saddle and adjacent portion of the stem extending outwardly of said one end of the belt, with elongated pin means secured to the belt to extend transversely and outwardly of the longitudinal edges of the belt, and with a belt-end retainer connected to the portions of the pin means which extend outwardly of the longitudinal edges of the strap and arranged for movement relative to said pin means in directions transverse to the plane of the belt, so that said belt-end retainer serves its function for both positions of the reversible belt buckle.

4. A reversible belt and buckle device having stretch character comprising, in combination, a belt portion providing spaced walls joined by a bight, an elongated stem extending through the bight of the belt and having one end positioned outwardly of the belts bight and the other end extending into the space between the spaced belt walls, a buckle-receiving saddle connected to said one end of the stem, stop means provided at the other end of the stem, an apertured abutment member positioned against the belts bight with the stem extending through the abutment members aperture and permitting pivoting of the stem about its longitudinal axis relative to the abutment member and in the space between the spaced belt walls, and an elongated compression coil spring surrounding said elongated stem and operating to normally bias said stop means and abutment member in opposite directions, and all portions of the stem` that are positioned between .the spaced belt walls having a maximum transverse dimension substantially no greater than the outer diameter of the coil spring so as to permit of pivoting of the stem wlthout interference thereof with the spaced belt walls.

5. A device as in claim 4 wherein the stem is formed with a loop at one end which permits of pivoting of a buckle member attached to said loop, and the stop means includes a washer-type stop member slidably fitted on said stem and engaged by one end of the spring, and the terminus of the stem is deformed to retain the washer on the stem.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 847,430 3/1907 Neider 24-222 906,974 12/ 1908 Wenig. 1,020,553 3/1912 Hodges. 1,226,378 5/1917 Riemer et al 24-102 136,454 3/1873 Parsons 24-182 1,900,147 3/1933 Wirth 24-163 2,629,104 2/1953 Easlick 2-322 2,630,612 3/1953 Stark 24-178 OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Examiner.

E. SIMONSEN, Assistant Examiner. 

